Air.--From Virue's sluggish Rules be free, Ye mortals who my Shrine adore, Dance, Laugh & Quaff, & sing like me, And dissipate the tasteless hour: In frolic, pastime, Sport & Play Revel in Joys your Lives away. _Enter Virtue._ _Recitative._ _Vice._ But Virtue comes!--Offends my sickening Eye! (Virtue touches the Scene & a Transparency of _Hogarth_ appears with a Scrool in his hand on which is inscribed "_The Rake's Progress_.") And Hogarth!--Moral Painter too I see! In dark oblivion shall thy Semblance lie, Hogarth & Virtue're enemies to me (_Approaches to Destroy the Transparency._) _Recitative._ _Virtue._ Forbear, forbear--by Hogarth is pourtray'd The Fate of those thy precepts have betray'd, As in a Mirror's seen each impious Joy, That Courts the Victim only to destroy. And look--(_Vice goes off._) Appall'd Vice trembles at the Sound In virtue only is true Pleasure found. (_Exit._) * * * * * _Before the Drop--Enter Virtue._ _Air. Tune, "Mary's Dream."_ Beware--nor lur'd by Vice's Arts, A moment listen to her wiles, He who from Virtue's path departs In seas of trouble she beguiles; This Hogarth's living pictures shew View thoughtless man, by Vice undone, A warning 'tis design'd for you, Behold--& baneful pleasure Shun. (_Exit_) * * * * * _Scene 2^{nd}_ (_No Music._) A Loud knocking at Street Door